More than 150 senior pupils from seven East Dunbartonshire schools* recently had an insight into what they can expect at Secondary School if they are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
The P7 students attended the Kirkintilloch STEM Festival in the Town Hall, arranged by the Council’s Primary Science Development Officer working for Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE) programme and the Developing the Young Workforce - Lanarkshire & East Dunbartonshire (DYW LED) Team for pupils in the Kirkintilloch High catchment area.
RAiSE is a programme of Education Scotland, The Wood Foundation, Scottish Government, and participating local authorities to empower primary teachers with the confidence, skills, and networks to develop and deliver motivating and exciting STEM opportunities.
Around 20 industry partners attended and provided the young people with a range of exciting hands-on activities and lots of important information.
There was straw model building, explosive experiments, computer games, fingerprint forensics and more to demonstrate that these subjects play a huge role in our daily lives, can be fun and provide job opportunities for the future. Each partner delivered a short interactive workshop with explicit links to STEM that learners might not have thought about before.
Convener of East Dunbartonshire’s Education Committee, Councillor Lynda Williamson said,
I’m delighted that this event took place in East Dunbartonshire and that so many pupils got the chance to explore the myriad opportunities offered by STEM subjects.
This was an excellent way to build on the STEM learning already taking place in our schools."
“It showed how these subjects apply to real-life situations and I’m sure will have sparked an interest in some students who have never considered the importance and opportunities offered by STEM before. It’s an outstanding addition to the transition year for these P7s. I’d like to thank all our partners who helped deliver it and hope that we see more of these invaluable events in the future.”
Jackie Gillespie, Headteacher at Harestanes Primary said, “Our Primary 7 pupils had a phenomenal time at the Kirkintilloch STEM Festival! The children were inspired from start to finish. What a fantastic day!”
Rebecca McMillan, DYW LED’s Programme Executive Team Leader added, “Developing the Young Workforce Lanarkshire & East Dunbartonshire in partnership with RAiSE were thrilled to offer this opportunity to Primary 7 pupils. Our young learners are the future, and it’s essential to prepare them for the world ahead.
“It was fantastic to see so many pupils excited to participate in the amazing hands-on workshops provided by employers, STEM Ambassadors, and STEM Partners. Giving them the opportunity to explore the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths opens up a world of future career possibilities.”
There are discussions about similar projects in other cluster areas and more events are being planned as part of British Science Week 2025.
** The participating schools were: Craighead Primary, Harestanes Primary, Hillhead Primary, Lennoxtown Primary, Oxgang Primary, Twechar Primary and Woodland View School.
